By Reuters&bullet;
last updated:
14/10/2017

By Simon Evans
LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho rejected the idea that his team went to Liverpool for a point and said Saturday’s 0-0 Premier League draw reflected Juergen Klopp’s tactics as much as his own.
United, who moved to 20 points from eight games, showed little ambition to attack and did not manage a single shot on goal in the second half but Mourinho said he had been waiting for Klopp’s side to open up in search of a win.
Asked if a point was his target in the game, Mourinho said: “No, we came for three but in the second half we felt (it was) difficult to do that with the match, the dynamic as it was.
“I was waiting for Juergen to change and go more attacking but he kept the three strong midfielders at all times, where he was having control because I had only (Ander) Herrera and (Nemanja) Matic,” said the United manager.
Mourinho noted the absence of midfield options from the United bench, caused by injuries to Paul Pogba, Marouane Fellaini and Michael Carrick, but also defended his approach by highlighting that he had brought on attacking players Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford in the second half.
“When I brought on Lingard and Rashford I was waiting for him (Klopp) to give me more space to counter but he didn’t give me. So I know that probably you think we were defensive and they were offensive – well, you are at home and you don’t move anything. I don’t know? I was waiting for that and he didn’t. I think he did well, honestly.
“The game was never broken, they pressed high, they recovered the ball, so I think they were very good by the defensive point of view.
“The only chance I had to change the direction of the game was to bring on players for one-on-one, players with speed and maybe they are going to change (the game), but they didn’t,” added Mourinho.
However, the Portuguese manager seemed unconcerned that such a highly anticipated game had ended in a dull stalemate, which left Liverpool seven points behind United.
“It depends on what is for you an entertaining game. One thing is an entertaining game for fans, another thing is an entertaining game for people who read football in a different way. That’s different.
“For me, the second half was a bit of chess, but my opponent didn’t open the door for me to win the game.”

(Reporting by Simon Evans; editing by Ken Ferris)

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